


A Stolen Family

by SweetlySinisterScribbler



Category: A Court of Thorns and Roses
Genre: F/M, Family, Hurt/Comfort, Love, Tragedy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-03
Updated: 2021-02-25
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:42:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 19,914
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26262847
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SweetlySinisterScribbler/pseuds/SweetlySinisterScribbler
Summary: What if Feyre didn't get out of the Spring Court when she did? What if she got caught and discovered some people she believed to be dead? Would she help them or save herself?
Relationships: Feyre Archeron & Rhysand
Comments: 11
Kudos: 22





	1. Caught and Captured

**Author's Note:**

> Hey Guys! So, this is a story that I’ve had in mind for a while and I’m finally at least writing it down. I don’t know if it’ll be a series or a one shot (that’s yet to be decided), but this is something that always intrigued me with the ACOTAR series after discovering what happened between Rhysand and Tamlin’s families. I hope you guys enjoy this story and please leave a comment and let me know what you think of it!  
> With that all said, let’s get onto the story!

Feyre POV

 _‘He destroyed the room because I said no. How sad of a man he really is. Does he not yet know that I’m the one pulling the strings here and he’s merely a puppet? Things will change’_ I think to myself as Lucien walks me to my room. We pass by members of staff who stare at the cuts and bruises on my face, knowing what happened in the study. I ignore the whispers and murmurs as I let Lucien lead me away.   
“Feyre, are you okay? I get that he has problems, but you should’ve known better than to say what you did.” Lucien said as we walk into my room, “Look, let me talk to him and calm him down. We’ll see you for dinner okay?”   
“’Let me talk to him and calm him down?’ Really Lucien? You don’t talk to him about stuff – you let him do whatever he wants! I get that he’s a High Lord, but that doesn’t mean he can treat us like crap! Every time you try to talk to him you end up submitting because you fear him. Don’t you get it yet?”   
He looked down for a moment, thinking it over, before meeting my eye again.   
“I’ll get you for dinner” he says and then slams the door shut behind him.   
  
Walking to the bathroom was a hard move for me. I didn’t want to see what he had done to me exactly- just wanted to ignore it really, but it had to be done. Stepping in, I turn to the mirror and finally get a good look at what I’ve become since I came back here. My hair is thin and wiry, over-greasy and just plain dirty. My eyes are sunken in, with bags underneath, and there’s no spark. My skin is pale and my lips are dried out and bloody. I have cuts near my eyes, on my cheeks and on my neck, with bruises forming between them and on them.   
I undress and turn back to the mirror once more, immediately becoming sick at the sight. I’m so thin that my ribs are poking out and you can see their outlines. I have more bruises lining my body and my skin is so dry that it’s peeling.   
Gone is the strong, independent woman that my mate helped me to become. Gone is the free woman who was able to make her own decisions. Gone is the happiness that I had for such a short amount of time. But when this is done, they’ll all come back and the Spring Court will be begging for mercy.   
  
I start the water and step into the bath, taking my time to clean myself as best I can before laying my head back and just enjoying the quiet of the moment.   
_“Are you okay? What happened?”_ A voice cuts into my quiet time. Oh, how I’ve missed that voice.   
_“I’m fine. Tamlin blew a fuse at me and ended up extending more anger than he meant to. I’m okay, really.”_  
 _“I want him dead for putting his hands on you and then I want you back home with me – where you belong.”_ He says angrily.   
_“Firstly, his magic touched me not him and secondly, I’ll come back when I’m done here. You know I’ll always return to you.”_ I respond and feel love float down the bond.   
_“Fine, but I still want him dead. Be safe there my love and I’ll be awaiting your return.”_  
The bond went dark after that.   
I found myself smiling after that conversation – just being able to hear him again after this time. It’s only been about a month, but that’s too long.   
Standing up, I slowly step out of the bath and start to dry myself with a towel, getting as much water as I can before wrapping the towel around myself.   
“AAHHH!” I scream, putting my back against the door and one of my hands gripping the towel tightly while the other one shoots up to my heart in an attempt to calm it. Walking out of the bathroom to see my ex-fiancee (who thinks we’re together) laying in my bed almost naked is terrifying.   
  
“What is it Tamlin?” I ask while trying to calm my heart.   
“We need to talk Feyre. About us.”   
“You wanna break up? Is that what this is about?”   
“What? No! I understand that I let my temper get a little out of control earlier and I wanted to say that I’m sorry. That I hope we can come back from this and be us again.”   
_‘Us? How about nope-us?’_ I think as I stare at him. “I need time Tamlin. Time to think about everything. Time to make a decision that’s best for me. Can you give me that?”  
  
Apparently not as the anger quickly rose up on his face. Eyes going near black and fists tightening so much that they became white as snow. Claws came out in his hands and fangs popped out of his mouth – his beast coming to form.   
“Why do you need time?!? I apologized to you, isn’t that enough? You know that I’m your forever so why can’t you accept it?”   
“I’m my own person Tamlin! You can’t make these decision for me and you know that. I’m not asking for much, just time.”   
“Fine. You can have all the time you need, but until you make the right decision, you won’t be allowed to leave this house.” He says before storming out and slamming the door behind him.   
I can feel my heart start to race and my breathing start picking up, but I feel a flitter of love down the bond and am able to calm down. I drop the towel and head into the closet to get dressed. Pulling on my pajamas, I lay down and decide not to go to dinner. I fall asleep worrying about how the next day would go.

In the morning, I’m awoken by the sunlight streaming through the curtains. It lands on my eyes and I ultimately can’t put off getting up anymore. I get up and head into the closet, stripping off my pajamas and leaving a trail as I go. I pull out a strapless, blue spring court style dress that ends at the knees and has lace sleeves. I put on some blue flats with some bracelets and a small necklace. Looking in the mirror, I see the spitting image of what Tamlin wanted me to be. I feel uncomfortable at the sight. This isn’t me.   
  
Taking in a deep breath, I exit the room and head down to the dining room. Upon reaching the door, one of the workers who saw me yesterday opened the door for me with a look of pity. I entered and saw Tamlin and Lucien at the table. They stopped eating when I entered and stood, waiting for me to take my seat at the other end of the table. I walked slowly and eventually took my seat, trying to ignore them as best I can.   
“Feyre” he says, making me look at him, “have you made your decision yet or do you need more time?”   
Sighing, I say what he wants to hear to get out of this. “Yes I have a decision. I will forgive you for what happened and we can move past this.”   
He stands and smiles, “I knew you’d make the right decision and I’m happy this is all behind us. Now, I must go. I have meetings to attend. Why don’t you go on a ride with Lucien? That should make you feel even better” he says before walking out of the room.   
I stand and see Lucien heading my way. I put my hand up to stop him.   
“I don’t want to ride, I just want to be alone. I want to paint. Can you give me that?”   
He nods and I walk out of the room. I head down to the little art room that got cleared for me and set an easel up. I put colors on my palette and just started painting. I spent so much time on this that I didn’t realize it was dark out until a worker knocked on the door and said it was time for dinner.   
“Will Lucien and Tamlin be joining me tonight?”   
“No ma’am. They are meeting with Ianthe and some of her people tonight, so it will just be you.”   
“I’m good.” I say as I put my brush down. “I will not be eating tonight, I do not feel well. However, I will see you in the morning.” I rush out of there and to my bedroom before she can say anything.   
As I reach my door I quickly open and shut it before going about my plan. The workers here are now against Tamlin and some have already left. They’ve seen that they don’t matter to him and they’ve seen that I don’t matter to him either. Tonight’s it.   
I slip into a tight black top and some black pants, with black boots being laced over them and a black jacket to top it off. My hair goes into a pony tail and I grab a bag that contains food and water. Going to the door I listen for anyone in the hall and then poke my head out to double check. Seeing no one, I quietly make my way down. I reach the front door without seeing another person and step out before breaking for the forest. I follow it down towards a stream when I hear a voice.

“Come on – it’s just one time. It won’t hurt anyone” the woman says.   
I poke my head out and see Lucien backed up against a tree – a woman dragging her finger up and down his chest, making him visibly uncomfortable.   
“I’ve told you quite a few times now Bridgette, I won’t do it. I don’t care for you that way and don’t want whatever diseases you have.”   
I see her hand start trailing down towards his little friend and step out before she can actually violate him. I start speaking in my High Lady voice knowing she can’t deny a High Lord or Lady.   
“Remove your hand from his person” I use my dark powers to control her and take her mind, standing in front of her, “Grab the rock behind you and smash your hand until it breaks”.   
She does so, but cannot scream for the power I have over her. “Tomorrow you will remember none of this and will say that your hand slammed in a door for an excuse. You will forget having seen me and Lucien.” I say as I pick up a rock and hit her in the head – knocking her unconscious.   
  
“Feyre?” He says and I look Lucien in the eye, “you’re leaving tonight aren’t you?”   
I nod, “I have to. You can come with and start a new life, but I won’t wait here for you forever. You must decide now.”   
  
“No he doesn’t” I hear behind me. Slowly I turn and come face to face with Tamlin who backhands me and sends me flying into a tree. I pick my head up and look at him with wide eyes, feeling the blood going down my chin.   
“Ianthe was right, you’re leaving me. Well, we can’t have that. If Rhysand wants my bride so badly then he’ll have to come and get you.” he walks over to me and grabs my chin, “YOU’RE MINE”.   
Picking me up, he throws me over his shoulder and no matter how much I kick or scream, he doesn’t let go. We start going downstairs which confused me and then I heard it. The cell door. I turned my head to look just in time to see the cell before he threw me into it.   
Yep. He threw me in there.   
Locking the door, he chuckled before walking away. I scooted to a corner and tried to reach Rhysand, but nothing went through. Did they put Faebane in me?   
  
“Most likely” a female voice says. I get up and go to the wall, seeing two women leaning against a far wall in another cell. They look like they’ve lived here for a long time – look worse than I did.   
“Who are you? How long have you been here? How did you get here?”   
The older looking one laughs before she starts hacking while the younger one pats her back, only when she’s done does the younger one answer me.   
“We’ve been in here since my brother became a High Lord. They found us and took us, leaving fake heads of ours there for him to find. They wanted to hurt him and they ripped our wings out to do so. I don’t know an exact number.”   
It all seemed familiar, didn’t Rhys say something like that happened to his mom and sister? But if it was them, wouldn’t he know of their existence by now? Unless Tamlin’s been using more faebane than anyone could think of. But they couldn’t be…  
“Are you Rhysand’s mother and sister?” I ask as my breathing got heavier.   
The older one stood and went to the cell wall, grabbing it tight enough to split the skin on her fingers, “You know my son?”


	2. A Necessary Conversation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! So it seems like some of you have taken to this story and I'm so happy to see it! I would love to know if you guys have a favorite part or character of this story yet, mine might be in this chapter! This chapter was so much fun to write and I hope you all enjoy it! Leave a comment and let me know what you think of it!

Feyre POV

“You know my son?” The lady asked me, hope shining in her eyes. The younger girl stood up and took a place next to the older one, “You know my brother? Is he here with you?”

I stood there with my mouth open, shocked that these two women were alive. How long had they been here for them to have forgotten? Their hair was stringy and falling out in clumps, eyes looking so sunken in that they were just black holes, clothes so small and torn up that you could see everything. Both so skinny that you could see the ribs from any side, bodies littered in bruises of purple, yellow and brown. Dried blood covering them so much that you’d think they were made of it instead of water. Closing my mouth and shaking my head quickly, I straightened my thoughts out before answering.   
  
“Yes I know him. I’m a friend that he helped out a while ago. No, he isn’t here with me – he’s back with everyone else, making sure that they are staying safe and doing their jobs.” I said as I see smiles rise on their faces.   
“He helped you, huh? Sounds like my little boy if I didn’t know any better. How did he help you?” His mother asked.   
I took in a deep breath and said, “Tamlin brought me here from the human land some time ago. He took me in payment because I killed on of his people without knowing. I had two sisters and a father to take care of and killing animals and selling the pelts was the best way to get money. After Tamlin took me here we started to fall for each other, but I couldn’t get past certain things he did or ways he acted. We fought a good amount and he started to become dangerous to me, using his anger against me to hurt me without meaning to. I wasn’t living with him – I was surviving. Rhys found me there one day and discovered how I was being treated. He started with a deal, one week every month I would stay with him. When I was with him I could make my own choices, I ate and became healthier, I learned to train. Eventually, I realized that I couldn’t go back to Tamlin again – it would kill me. Rhysand gave me a position to work with him and I’ve stayed with him since. I wouldn’t be alive today if it wasn’t for him.”   
  
It went silent for a moment, them seeming to deliberate over what I had said.   
“So you came here with Tamlin and then left him for Rhys?” his sister asked.   
“Tamlin basically kidnapped me and forced me to this side of the boundary. At that moment I had no clue that Rhys even existed. After my first time staying with him for that week, I realized the way I had been treated and what rights Tamlin had taken from me. I left for Rhysand when I finally allowed myself to see that he’s a really good guy with a bad reputation.”   
  
They nodded in understanding and turned to walk back to the wall when I yelled out “wait”, making them turn back to me.   
“What are your names? Something that I can call you” I asked   
The young on pointed to the older lady, “This is Margaret and I’m Serena. Do you have a name?”   
“Elentiya. You can call me Elentiya. Have you guys seen how they are coming in and out of the room?”   
“No we haven’t. We have no clue how they’re doing this stuff” she said as a door opened.   
  
_‘Heavy sounding. Loud, squeaky opening with a bang at the end. Possibly metal. Should take either a key or a code’_ I think to myself as I hear the footsteps come down the hallway. No voices come down the hallway so it should just be one person.   
A face pops up in front of my cell and I see one of the guys who had cornered me the other day. He threw a plate of food into my cell and the food went onto the floor, doing the same thing for Serena and her mom. Bending over, I picked it up and went to take a bite when I caught the whiff.   
  
Faebane.   
  
I watched until he left and then quickly turned to the girls, “Don’t eat that!” I yell their way. They freeze in mid-bite, remove the food from their mouths and look at me in confusion.   
  
“They laced the food with faebane – that’s how they’re able to keep you docile like this. You eat the food and poison yourself. I can smell it in the food.”   
“But they expect us to eat it. If we don’t then we get a beating and are left unconscious for a while. I’ll take the poison over the beating.” Serena said as she went to take a bite.   
“Serena stop!” I yelled at her, making her freeze again. “Look, we have beds and pillows with pillowcases. We can shove the food into the beds and the pillows, but the pillows are last resort as we need to sleep on them. We need to act is though we’ve eaten the food otherwise they won’t buy it. We can get out of here, but I need you two to work with me on this. It’s the only way we all survive.”   
Nodding, they follow my lead and scoop the food in their hands. We tear into the mattress in a far corner and pull out some fluff, placing the food in and the fluff on top. When we’re done, it doesn’t look any different than before. Perfect. The man comes back in and sees the three empty plates on the ground waiting for him to grab them. He smiles and chuckles at us before grabbing the plates and leaving the room. As he’s walking out though, I notice a set of keys hanging off of his back pocket. Bingo!   
When the man shuts the door and locks it, I turn to the girls and whistle to get their attention. They both turn to me and I smile at them wickedly, scaring both of them.   
“Now we get out of here. Step one: Secure the keys.”   
  
  
\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Rhysand POV  
  
 _“Are you okay? What happened?”_ _I asked her._   
_“I’m fine. Tamlin blew a fuse at me and ended up extending more anger than he meant to. I’m okay, really.”_  
 _“I want him dead for putting his hands on you and then I want you back home with me – where you belong.”_ _I said furiously, imagining his head on my wall._   
_“Firstly, his magic touched me not him and secondly, I’ll come back when I’m done here. You know I’ll always return to you.”_ _Hearing that definitely made me smile. I made sure that she felt my love down the bond._   
_“Fine, but I still want him dead. Be safe there my love and I’ll be awaiting your return.”  
  
_ That had been days ago. Since then I’ve had no contact with her and no signs from her. What the hell’s going on? Here I am, eating dinner with my family – well, most of my family – while she has who knows what happening to her.   
“Everything okay Rhys?” I hear someone ask, but I can’t determine who it is.   
“It’s Feyre. I can’t feel her on the other end of the bond and we haven’t had another sign from her. She was supposed to make Tamlin’s people leave and bring down his borders, then return. Some people left, but that’s it.”   
“Rhys, you know her. You know Feyre is gonna do what she needs to. Maybe something happened and she needed to go dark to keep her cover, or maybe something drastic happened and she had to change her tactics. I worry about her too, we all do, but we also know that she’ll get it done. Besides we have our own things to worry about right now. War is on the way, we don’t know where the humans stand and we don’t know who all are our allies. We need to get the humans on our side and away from the wall.” Azriel says, drawing my attention. _  
  
_“I know that she can do this, but it doesn’t lessen my worry. If anything happens to her then I’ll never be able to forgive myself.”  
“If anything happens to her” Mor interrupts, “then we’ll take the heads of whoever hurt her and mount them on the wall. We have never taken attacks to our people lightly and this is our High Lady in question. She’ll do her job and come back to us – the only question is how many people pay for hurting her.”   
  
I nod in agreement as does everyone else. Feyre is special and the only High Lady to be – she’s stronger than even I can think. I know everyone at this table and everyone in Velaris would give their lives for her in a heartbeat – she would do the same for them. She has.   
“We need to get a head start on things here. Cassian, you and Mor head to the human lands tomorrow and try to listen in to them. See what they talk about and try to see I they know about the war – if they know about it, what their plans are, who their siding with. All of it. Azriel, you and Amren head out and talk to some of the high lords or their people. Try to find which side their on – we’ll need allies more than ever for this.” I tell them and the nod.   
  
“What about you Rhys?” Amren asks with a raised eyebrow.   
“I’m going to the human Queens personally to talk with them about everything. When I finish with that, I’m going to prep for a meeting with all of the High Lords. I know that we need allies and this will give me the chance to keep the ones we have and possibly gain new ones. I also need to go see the sisters.”   
“Sisters? You mean Nesta and Elain? Feyre’s sisters? What for?” Mor asks.  
  
“They don’t know what my mate’s doing and they don’t know what could come from it. As much as I don’t want to, they need to know. They need to have the chance to get out while they can if they so choose. Feyre would want them to know even after all they’ve done to her.” I say as I angrily take a bite of food.   
“They would stay and fight by their sisters’ side. It’s not like they can run back to the human world!” Amren yells, standing and kicking the chair to the ground, “They’re fae now! They should fucking act like it and fight alongside their people! After everything, they’re just gonna run and sacrifice her again?!!? Let me go talk some sense into them!!”   
I breathe deeply before speaking, “Calm down Amren. We haven’t even spoken to them yet – your just making assumptions about them - ”  
“And for good reason!” Cassian states, cutting me off, “They let her go into the woods, risking her life everyday while they sat around on their asses waiting for Prince Charming. Then, when Feyre gives her life for them, they just look down on her for becoming herself. Finally, they become Fae and block themselves off from her because they BLAME her for it! We have full right to make assumptions about them!”   
“I understand that Cassian, but Elain has come out of her shell more and is slowly becoming comfortable around us. She’s even mentioned possibly starting training. We know that if she wants it then Nesta will do anything to give it to her. If Elain wants to fight and wants her sister to then Nesta will – we all know that.” I tell them in an attempt to end the conversation.   
  
“We know what exactly?” Azriel says, “That Nesta favors the wants and happiness of her middle sister over her youngest one? We already know that – it’s painfully obvious! They won’t fight with or for her – Nesta will control Elain like she always does and make promises to her that she’ll expect Feyre to keep! You want to know what I think? I think talking to them will be a waste of your time and that they’ll either flat out reject your ideas, or they’ll pretend to and then run when they think you aren’t looking.”   
  
At this point, I’m the only one still sitting down. Everyone else has thrown their chairs and are getting ready to throw down. Food is thrown all over the floor and walls, the table unrecognizable at this point. All in anger over the wrongs done to my mate. It makes me proud to see that they are this protective over their High Lady – makes me happy to have them watching my back.   
  
“I understand what you all mean and I don’t wish to do it anymore than you all, but Feyre would want them warned. She would want to know where they stand and would want to make sure they were prepared for anything. I would love nothing more than to take them down a few pegs for their past, but we can’t right now. So everyone sit down, eat your food and let it go.”   
They all nod and fix their chairs before sitting. I hear silverware clanking against plates as they eat silently. It’s eerily quiet for some time, everyone’s anger apparent on their faces. I guess my face matched theirs.   
“We can’t take them down a bit now, but there’s always after the war” Mor says, making me chuckle. Everyone looks my way.   
“After the war, I plan to distract Feyre by sending her shopping with an acquaintance. While she does that, we will indeed be paying her sisters a visit – so long as they survive the war. We need them to understand the Feyre is of the highest titles and no one is above her – older in age or not. They need to understand that things do not work the same way here as they do in the human world – and they will. Until then, we need to follow the plan and prepare for war. I refuse to lose.” I finish. I throw my napkin on the table and walk out of the room, heading up to the roof.   
  
I see my chair and sit in it, remembering that first night Feyre found me here. I wanted to take her on the roof so badly. I look up and see the stars all spread randomly in the sky and open the bond between us again – knowing she won’t answer. _  
  
‘Feyre, I know that you can do this. You’re so strong – stronger than everyone knows. I know that you’re smart enough to get yourself out of any situation, but it doesn’t lessen my worry any. Please. Please respond to me. Let me know that you’re okay – that we’ll be okay. All I want is you back with me. That’s all.’  
_ _I sit there and listen for a moment, only for the silence to take place. She’s not there. I breathe deeply and lean my arms on my legs, my head resting in my hands._  
  
I need her back.


	3. The Wrong High Lady

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Guys! I am so glad that you seem to be enjoying this story! As per some reviews/comments I’ve received – this story is going to be a bit OOC for a good part of it, so please understand that the characters may act differently than they normally would. I would like to say a big thank you to all who are supporting this story for what it is – it really means a lot. With that all said let’s get onto the story!

Feyre POV

It’s been a couple weeks since we started on our plan – since then, we’ve been studying the members of Tamlin’s court, or the ones who come in to feed us. We’ve needed to learn who comes in around what time and who all carries keys to the cells. All in all, we had a good plan that hasn’t worked.

Everyone who comes in is a different guard and none of them seem to have keys. We’ve heard no dinging from keys hitting each other and no light shining off of them. Absolutely nothing. Serena and her mom now look my way in disappointment. I had promised to get them out.

 _“They don’t have keys, but the door locks – it has to be coded. If Tamlin made the code then it could be the most random combination in the world or the most sensible one. Since he was probably angry when he made it I’ll go with random”_ I think to myself as I hear the door open again. I look and see the guard who took up a position before my cell door. I watch as he digs around in his pocket before I hear the ‘bzzzz’.

 _‘It’s a buzzer – there’s a button and he has one. We can still get out!”_ I think to myself as I see his hand reach out. He unlocked the door and grabbed my arm, pulling me out and into the hallway. That was my moment.

I pulled my arm away and rushed my other elbow into his face – breaking his nose. When he turned away to grab at it, I jumped on his back and wrapped my arms around his neck before twisting it to one side. Jumping off of him, I watched as he fell to the ground in a lump – not moving or breathing again.

“Elentiya?” Serena called out, forcing me to look her way.

“I had to in order for us to get out. Everyday these guards come in here and laugh at us. Everyday these guards come in here and throw our food on the floor so they can feel like they’re better than us. They want to believe that they are stronger and smarter and faster and better. This is how we get out – by playing by their rules.” I tell her as I reach into the dead man’s pocket.

I pulled out the buzzer and saw that they had labeled each button in order to remember which unlocked which cell. That was just sad.

Running over to Serena and her mom, I hit their button and the door slid open to let them out. This was the moment we had waited for.

We didn’t hug each other or cry tears of joy. We didn’t talk and see if each other was okay or if they needed anything. We didn’t say anything at all, just nodded before heading towards the door. When we arrived, I tried the third button on the remote, but it didn’t work.

“Of course it doesn’t work. Why would we make it simple enough for the hostages to actually be able to get out? I mean, we can’t remember what two buttons do, but are smart enough to do this?” I ask dryly.

“Wait! There’s a vent over in the corner by our cell” Serena says, running back in the other direction. Her mom and I followed, confused by what the girl meant.

Reaching the corner, we finally saw it. On the ceiling was a small, black vent that didn’t seem to actually work. No air came in and sound came off of it.

“Guess it’s more for decoration than anything else. Can we open it?” I ask them and they shrug. I told Serena to get on my shoulders and try to open it. She succeeded. Her mom went next and only when she was securely in did they look my way.

“What about you? Should we pull you up?” Margaret asks me.

“No. I have business to handle, but you two need to get out. I don’t know how much longer you’ll survive here. Someone needs to distract them so you can get away. Head for the Night Court and find Rhys. Tell them what’s happening. I’ve kept a little of the Faebane in my system so they won’t know – the last thing we need is an angry Rhysand storming in here before everything’s done.”

“What business?” Margaret says.

“Tamlin brought me back in to get what he wanted, but I’m here to see this court burn for their treatment of me and others. There will no longer be a Spring Court unless another High Lord decides to take it. The Court will burn and Tamlin will burn with it – but for what he’s done to you, I may just take his head and mount it on my wall.” I say before handing up the vent head.

Their eyes went wide – whether it was the words I said, or the look in my eyes I don’t know. They wanted to say more, but I put up a hand to stop them. We didn’t have time for this. They sealed it and disappeared as I stepped back into my cell, using the remote to lock it again. Taking a seat on the bed and crossing my legs, I leaned against the wall and waited.

It’s time for the Spring Court to learn that they’ve messed with the wrong High Lady.

Serena POV

My mom and I crawled through the vents, only stopping when we heard voices. Vents can be loud if you go too quickly. We followed them all around, looking in each one until we could see the outside and then busted out when we finally found one. We quietly took the vent off in case anyone was close by and then I jumped down before turning to help my mom. We took off for the woods as quickly as we could – which wasn’t that fast. We were malnourished and dehydrated, covered in wounds from beatings and other things.

I could still feel his hands on me.

We reached the woods and hid behind trees so they couldn’t see us. Through all of this, I couldn’t get that girl off of my mind. She helped us get out and didn’t ask for anything in return. No one else in her position would’ve done that, they’d only thought of themselves. How they could survive and how to save themselves. She’s different. And we left her there.

“We need to go back. We can’t leave her there like that” I tell my mom.

“We won’t be leaving her there sweetie. She’s Illyrian – you can tell from the way she acts and speaks. She’s strong. You and I are going to heal up; we’re gonna get better. When we do, we’ll go back for her and then we’ll return to Velaris together. She helped us and we owe her the same.”

“But she told us to go back and find Rhys. She said they won’t know and that they need to.” I argued back.

“That’s what she said, but we’ve been here longer than other people as there isn’t much more he could do to us. He can still harm her and break her in more ways than one – we can’t let that happen. We’ll find another court and make up a story – we’ll heal up and come back for her. I trust that she’s strong enough to last that long.”

I nodded and followed her through the woods, looking back only once in silent promise to her.

_‘We’ll come back for you Elentiya, I promise you that.’_

We ran for what felt like hours until we found another one of the courts. We couldn’t tell much of it as it was pitch black outside and couldn’t really see.

Suddenly some light blinds us and we back up until the light dims and a man shows himself.

“You look hurt. May I help you?” He asks.

“Who are you? Where are we?” My mother says.

“My name is Helion – please come in.” he responds while having some people hold the doors for us. We walk in and are immediately impressed by the size of the room – easily enough to be three or four floors of a normal building. Lights are lit everywhere and showcase the lightly colored furniture. “Welcome to the Day Court.”

We walk further in and he signal for us to follow, which we do. We walk and walk until he opens another set of doors and lead us to a dining room big enough for all of Velaris. Food lined the table, from noodles and seafood to meats and vegetables. More than enough food on the table for all of Velaris.

“Are you planning a party?” I ask our gracious host who laughs.

“No. I saw you two wondering around like lost dogs and realized that you were hurt. When I opened my door and saw how thing you were, I realized that you may need some food. However, I did not know of what you liked, so I mind-linked my people and had them bring up a buffet.”

“Thank you for this. Truly.” My mom says as she takes a seat with me taking one right next to her. He only nodded and watched as we grabbed food and began to eat.

We talked with him for hours about things that have happened since we’ve gone, trying to figure out a game plan. He told us about the girl Tamlin brought over and how she killed Amarantha. He spoke of how Rhysand had apparently saved the girl from Tamlin and gave her another chance at life. That made us smile. Elentiya spoke the truth.

Then he said Rhysand met his mate.

“What do you mean he found his mate?” my mom asked. Her fork was down and her eyes were wide.

“He found his mate. Apparently he couldn’t get enough of her and thought her good enough for a … promotion in position, if you will.”

“Promotion in position?” I ask curiously.

“He’s made her the High Lady of the Night Court. Given her a position that hasn’t really existed before. Don’t you know all of this?” He turns on us.

“We were kind of abandoned in the woods a while ago and never found our way out. We made a home in a cave and grew used to it. Someone ended up finding us accidentally and helped us get out. We ended up being just south from your Court.” I tell him without meeting my mom’s confused face.

He nodded in understanding before standing up and bidding us a good night. We were shown to our rooms by a servant who left us together in my room to say good night, for what they thought would be our first night apart.

“Why did you lie to him like that? We could’ve said the truth and he would’ve helped us” my mom says, making me chuckle.

“No. He would realize who we are and take us back to Rhysand immediately. Then we’d have an even bigger problem and harder time trying to get Elentiya out. I don’t like lying to him, but we need to help her. If lying to him will help us accomplish that then I’ll gladly do it. Now, you need to go rest. We need to gather and save as much energy as we can. I’ll see you in the morning mama.” I say, hugging her before closing the door behind her.

I turn to the bed and see clothes on it, waiting for me. Too tired to shower, I quickly change and go to sleep; questions about Rhys flying through my head.

Would I like his mate?

Would we get along?

Would he like Elentiya?


	4. Leaving the Leeches

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Welcome to chapter 4 of “A Stolen Family”! I am so excited that we’ve gotten this far and can’t wait for you all to see what’s coming up! I would like to thank you guys for the reviews/comments that you’ve all left for this story and I’m so happy to see that you’re enjoying it. I am so sorry for the wait on this chapter, but all that matters is that it’s here now! So please give it a read and let me know what you think of it!
> 
> S.S.S.

Rhysand POV

Walking up to the door, I can’t help but feel slightly happy that Feyre isn’t with me. Not because I don’t love her as much, but I know it would kill her to see how Nesta’s living. Do I want to be here instead of hunting for my mate? Hell no. But like the others said, I need to trust that she can do her part of the job. So I will.

Raising my hand, I loudly knocked on the door in an attempt to get their attention. After some stomping and some muffled yelling, the door flung open to show the she-devil’s face. She was angry with her face mostly red and her hair in a mess. Her clothes were crumpled up and before I could say anything, a man snuck by me and bolted.

“What the hell do you want?” She asked me.

“I need to speak with you and Elain. It’s of the upmost importance.”

“Look, we’re good as we are. I don’t need Feyre sending her muppets here to try and make us do shit. You can tell her to move the fuck on because we aren’t family anymore.” She said with a raised voice. She tried to slam the door, but I shoved my foot in the way.

Shoving it open, I saw Nesta go back a couple steps before I shut it behind me. “Thanks for letting me in. We need to talk. So why don’t you go get Elain and show me to a place where we can sit.”

To say I was already done with this meeting was an understatement.

She bolted up some broken old stairs and I waited by the door. When they both showed their faces, I was led to the kitchen – well a small kitchenette of sorts. There was room for one person and anyone else was forced to stay in the hall. There was no table or chairs, only about two or three cupboards, no dishwasher or anything. It was puny, but it would work.

“So tell me why some Illyrian asshole decided it was completely okay for him to barge into our home without any consideration to our privacy? What would Feyre think of this – of you treating us in this sort of manner? Speaking of her, where is Feyre?” Nesta asked, keeping an eye on Elain.

“Firstly, I’m your High Lord. I technically own this building and the land that it stands on. So I have full right to do anything from kicking a door in to tearing the fucking building down. Secondly, Feyre knows how I feel about you. She knows how everyone in our group feels about you. We’ve tried to be friendly with you, but you keep treating her like shit no matter how much she fights for you. I like to think she’d agree with whatever I’d do. But that’s not why I’m here”

“Then why the hell are you here and where’s Feyre? I need to speak with her” Nesta replied, catching my interest.

“Why are you looking for Feyre?”

“She is the one who pays the rent on this building so we – her sisters – can have somewhere to live. She took our human home from us, so it’s the least she can do. The rent is due soon and she can’t pay if she doesn’t know.”

Anger began to fill me as I could only see red, “That’s why you keep contact with her? Not because you’re family, but because you want money from her? After all of the jobs I’ve offered you, this is the way you want to do this? And she didn’t take your human home from you. She had nothing do to with you being taken and changed, but she did have some to do with taking care of you afterwards. I bet you don’t see that though, do you?”

“Look” Nesta said, “Either, you give us money for rent or Feyre comes and gives it to us. Other than that, we don’t have anything to talk about.”

I know that I said I would do this because she would want it done for her sisters. I know that she would want them to be happy and that she’d want them to have a chance to survive the war, but at this point I don’t care anymore.

“I want you out. Now. Get off your asses and go find jobs – pay your own fucking rent. My mate, your High Lady, and I are done paying for you to treat her like shit. You want to be independent and able to do whatever you want? Fine. Do it on your dime – not ours. You have two days to pack your shit and leave.”

“You can’t do that to us – we’re your family. Where are we supposed to go? What are we supposed to do? You guys owe us and this is how you want to fix things?” Nesta says.

The street goes dark and she screams. I leave it for a moment before I put the light back and turn back to face her. “You are not my family and you are not Feyre’s family. You’re leeches who will do whatever they need to in order to have the easiest life ever. I don’t care where you go, but I want you out of my court and out of Velaris. What to do? That’s up to you. Get out.”

Storming away from the house, I didn’t look back. Didn’t think of what Feyre would say or what she’d want done – I was done with them treating her that way. So they’re gone.

Margaret POV

After leaving my daughter’s room, I couldn’t get Rhysand off of my mind – mainly his mate. I stepped into mine and looked into the mirror, smiling sadly at myself. I didn’t look the greatest, seeing as I was covered in wounds and dirt, dry and fresh blood. I know that my son would be furious to see us in such states like this, but I also know he’d be happy to see us alive.

He’s mated. He has a High Lady next to him – hopefully someone who loves him as much as he deserves. Hopefully I’ll like her and she’ll get along with Serena. I can’t imagine what would happen if we didn’t get along.

I stepped away from the mirror and went into the bathroom to take a shower. Stepping under the water, I used a rag to scrub the dirt off and used my hands to get the water all the way through my hair before stepping out and putting on pajamas. Laying down in the bed, I fell asleep almost instantly.

The next morning, I awoke and quickly changed into a pair of pants and a shirt with some flat shoes. I stepped out of the room and walked down the same hallway we used last night to get to our rooms. Going down the hallway, the walls were pretty bare and so were the walkways. The only things to see were windows. I followed it straight to the dining room where I found Helion sitting at the dining table alone.

“Good morning” I say, staying by the door.

He looked up with his eyes wide, “Oh! Good morning. I wasn’t expecting you to be up for a few hours, please sit” he said as someone came and pulled out a chair for me.

I nodded my thanks to them before taking the seat and slowly putting things on my plate, “Is there a problem with me being awake at this time?”

“Not at all. I just thought you’d be asleep longer due to your injuries and for how tired you looked. How did you sleep last night?” He asked kindly.

“Very well – better than I have in a long time. Yesterday was a big day for my daughter and I so it was nice to have somewhere safe to sleep.”

“You seemed surprised when you heard about Rhysand yesterday, do you have any more questions about him that I may be able to answer?” He asked me while looking me in the eye.

“What do you know of his mate? Is she kind? Does she love him? Is she actually his mate or was it a political move?”

He put down his fork and took a sip of his water before answering, “I have met her once or twice. Once before they were mated and once after, I’ll tell you he always looked at her with love. Both times I saw her, he was extremely protective over her. I have never seen a love like theirs. She is definitely his mate and she seems to love him for him. She is kind, but I have also seen her when angry and that isn’t a side of her I want to fight. They seem really happy together and I wouldn’t be surprised if they announced a wedding or a baby one day.”

I nodded, accepting this with a smile – not seeing the confused look on his face.

“Miss, if I may, why do you care so much about Rhysand and his mate? Do you know him personally?”

My eyes shot wide open and my mouth started twitching.

“Um… I.. uh”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, what did you all think? Did you like it or hate it? Are you looking forward to anything possibly happening in the story or with a certain character? Let me know what you think and I’ll see you all in the next posting! 
> 
> S.S.S.


	5. Family Turns on Family

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Guys! So, I know it’s been a bit since the last chapter of this story and that’s on purpose. I’m not posting a new chapter every-day or even every other day. There are other stories that I want to write and work on, so I’m trying to do it as evenly as I can.   
> As for the last chapter posted for this story, I guess a lot of you can see that I don’t really care for Nesta and Elain. In the stories, they were a couple of my least favorite characters so portraying them as I saw them was important to do.   
> Thank you all for supporting this story and I hope you enjoy this next chapter.   
> S.S.S.

Feyre POV

Another guard came running in soon after I got Serena and Margaret out. He opened the door and bust into the room, seeing his dead ally on the ground and me the only prisoner in the cells. He seemed to do a double take as he looked for the other prisoners and kept only seeing me.

“Where are the other prisoners?” He asks me, leaning down to check his friends’ pulse, only to shake his head in shame.

I don’t respond to him and he bangs his hand on the cell door to make me jump, “Tell me where they are!”

I shake my head and watch as he falls to his knees, “Please. Tamlin will kill me if he knows they got out and he’ll kill me if they ended up dying in here on my watch. Please – where are they?”

“They are my friends. You are not. During my previous time here, you stood by as Tamlin tore me down little by little and didn’t care. You gleefully watched as he slowly killed me and then you gleefully helped him throw me in here to punish me.” I said, catching his eye, “It will be fun watching you pay for your crimes.” 

He unlocked the door and came in, grabbing my hair and pulling it tight enough to rip some out of my head. Well, this may explain the bald spots on Serena and Margaret’s heads. “You tell me where they are or I’ll drag you in front of Tamlin and let him question you.”

I tried to stand up and he pulled me by the hair, “I guess you wanna go to Tamlin then” he said.

“I guess you wanna die by my hand then” I reply. Quickly, I reached back and grabbed his wrist before twisting it and breaking it. He released the hold on my hair to view his wrist when I jumped on him and plunged my thumbs into his eye sockets, popping his eyes and killing him.

Kneeling next to him, I muttered “That was for my in-laws” in his dead ear. Moving quickly, I started to remove his uniform. I took off his shirt and pants and traded mine for them. Then switched the shoes and took the hat, revealing his bald head. Standing up, I leave him naked as I walked out of the building through the door he left open.

Hey, I guess Tamlin only hiring idiots works out sometimes.

Margaret POV

"Miss, if I may, why do you care so much about Rhysand and his mate? Do you know him personally?"

My eyes shot wide open and my mouth started twitching.

"Um… I.. uh. I was a close friend of the family a while ago. There was a fallout between me and his parents before their untimely deaths. I had always wondered what happened with Rhysand – what he’s doing and if he’s happy. I am sorry if it seems like something more than that, but it’s nothing more than a friend wondering about a friend.”

He nodded, “I’m sorry that I assumed there was more. I thought you were going to say you were his mother or something.”

“Would it be bad if I was his mother? You seem quite happy that I’m not.” I asked curiously.

“It’s not that – I would’ve been ecstatic if you were. I know he would’ve been happy to have her back and I know his mate would’ve loved to have met her. I would’ve had you back on his doorstep immediately, but I couldn’t do that if I wasn’t sure. I know how it would feel to have that hope and watch it burn within seconds.”

The door behind us opens and I turn to see my daughter enter the dining room. She’s dressed for today and giving me a cautious look.

“Good morning” She tells us and we nod in return. “Am I interrupting something?”

“Not at all” Helion tells her, “We were just discussing Rhysand. I was not aware that you two were friends of his family. I’m sure it was hard to learn what happened to his family – I’m sorry that you had to go through that.”

“Oh, um, thank you” Serena said, giving me the dirtiest look I’ve ever seen, “As long as he’s happy now then it’s all good. We were gonna try to make our way over there to check on him, but you’ve told us everything so there’s no need to now. May I sit and eat?”

“Of course.” Helion says, waving his hand to the chair, “If you really want to go visit Rhysand then I’ll get a group ready to escort you. I can have there as early as tonight.”

“Oh, uh, you don’t need to go through all that trouble. Really. You said that he’s fine and happy so we’ll go off of that. Also, this food smells delicious.” Serena said quickly.

“It’s no problem at all. I’ll have a few of my best men escort you to the perimeter at lunch time, after you eat of course. Can’t send a couple sweet ladies like you off with no food.” He said standing up, “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to speak with my men and get your trip set up.” With that, he left the room.

“What the hell happened? Last night everything was fine and now we’re old friends of Rhys? What did you do mom?” Serena asked me angrily.

“He and I were talking and I was asking questions of his mate to hopefully find out more about her. Well, I guess I asked too many questions or something because he became quite curious as to why I was asking about her. So, I quickly said that we were family friends of his in order to throw him off. But what was that all about – ‘We were gonna go visit him’? Really?”

“Well, I didn’t know what you had already done so I put that in to throw him off. Had I known what you had done or what you were planning to do then I wouldn’t have fucking said it. If we go back and can’t get to Elentiya then you are to blame. It is her blood on your hands.” Serena said before trying to leave.

“Plan it? I didn’t PLAN to say ANYTHING! It was fucking accidental and you fucking know it! You didn’t have to put in that stupid part of ‘We we’re gonna visit him’ – you could’ve fucking waited! So no – it’s not her blood on my hands, it’s her blood on your hands!” I yelled back at her.

Serena’s eyes widened and she went to fire back when the door opened and a couple guards walked in.

 _“Alright look, we’re not on the same page at the moment and this is NOT me agreeing with any of the bullshit you said, but we need to find a way out of this. We still need to help Elentiya which means we need to stay here a bit longer. So let’s wait and have it out with each other later in private, okay?”_ I asked my daughter through our mind-link.

She huffed and turned her back on me, walking towards the guards with her arms crossed.

“What time do we leave?” She asked them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay guys! What do you think so far? Like it or hate it? Let me know in a comment/review! I love hearing from you guys! Also, tomorrow (the day after this gets posted) I will be going through all of my stories and replying to comments/reviews. So leave one on this chapter!   
> Question for the chapter: Who do you think is in the wrong with this argument between mother and daughter? Why do you think so?  
> Thank you all for reading this chapter and I really hope you liked it. I will see you all in the next posting!
> 
> S.S.S.


	6. Lying in Wait

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Guys! So, it’s been awhile to say the least – I saw that the story hadn’t been updated since October and I hadn’t intended for it to be like that. I had wanted to finish this story so badly and I will. I would like to apologize for the long absence, but sometimes life just gets in the way of things you enjoy. Sadly, that’s what has occurred. I was a nanny for some children during the time of starting this and it had to be put on a back burner as more and more things came up.   
> I’m in college now – in NAU and it is a lot of work, but such a nice experience. I hope you all are willing to forgive such a long absence, but I understand if you won’t. I can’t promise an update schedule at this moment as I’m currently in 5 classes and still in my first week – but I will update when I can.

Serena POV

Turning my back on my mom, I faced the guards standing around the room and walked up to one of them. “What time do we leave?” I asked him.

“You two will have an hour to gather your bearings and then you will be leaving – with guards of course. The Lord wishes for you to get there promptly and safely.”

Nodding my head, I turned and walked out of the room – refusing to spare my mom another glance. I sighed as the door shut closed behind me. _‘Why couldn’t she just keep her mouth shut? Elentiya’s blood won’t be on my hands – it can’t be. Can it?’_ I think to myself while walking down the hallway.

“There you are!” I hear, turning to see Helion there, “I’ve been looking for you. We are about ready to send you off – do you have everything you need?”

“Yes” I nod, “Does Rhysand know who you’re sending to him?”

“No he doesn’t. I had thought the surprise might make his day considering what’s happened.” One look at the confusion on my face had him keep going, “His mate disappeared – poof! I think to myself while walking down the hallway.

“There you are!” I hear, turning to see Helion there, “I’ve been looking for you. We are about ready to send you off – do you have everything you need?”

“Yes” I nod, “Does Rhysand know who you’re sending to him?”

“No he doesn’t. I had thought the surprise might make his day considering what’s happened.” One look at the confusion on my face had him keep going, “His mate disappeared – poof! You would think that she had been a figment of everyone’s imagination or something. He’s been distressed since it’s happened.”

I look down at my feet, not too sure what to say.

“Ah, look at me rambling – we need to get you on your way! Please follow me.” He spoke quickly, leading me down the brightly lit hallway. It wasn’t anything too grand, mostly barren except for some paintings and dressers. I guess his mate hadn’t decorated the building yet.

Walking out of the doorway, a few things caught my eye. First, the colorful flower garden in front of the house. It looked like a child’s sandbox in shape and size, but one could not see the dirt that had been used to grow the flowers they were so over grown. The next thing to catch my eye was the beautiful view made by the tops of the trees near the forest and the sun over top of them. It looked still with no wind blowing – almost like a painting, but more beautiful. The green of the leaves combining with the brown of the bark and contrasting with the lightness of the sun – I’d missed views like this. The last thing I saw was the horse standing in the middle of a group of guards. The horse itself was mainly black with a white tail and white mane – but why was there only one?

“Are my mother and I sharing a horse?” I ask curiously.

“No, you are not. Where is the other horse for the mother?” He asks his guard.

“The mother said that she could not yet return to Rhysand, but she wouldn’t expand on that. She said to send her daughter in her stead and make sure that they find each other.”

The look on Helion’s face could’ve burned this entire building to the ground and drove a shiver down my back. “She told me to do that? She is aware that I am High Lord of this Court, right? Bring her out here. It appears we must have a little chat.”

“We cannot. She left the premises after that answer – we have been unable to find her since. We thought she had told you that she was to leave so soon.”

Both of their gazes turned on me – angry, curious, but mostly betrayed.

“I had no clue that she wasn’t going – I thought it was to be me and her through this. I am sorry for what she’s done to you, but I hope this will not hurt my standing with you. I just wish to reunite with Rhysand, that’s all” I say, shrugging at the last part.

He looks down and sighs before meeting my gaze again.

“Take the horse, but you will on your own. Head into the forest near the North entrance and go straight – you should reach the Night Court by nightfall.”

“You said that we would have guards and that you would escort us. Does that really have to change since it’s just me going?” I ask him.

“I offered that out of the kindness of my heart and with your mother pulling this, I cannot keep that deal. I lose everything in that deal – I’m sure you understand. Keep straight and never turn around – don’t look back. When you get there, make sure he knows that we housed and fed you, if you don’t then he could try to start a war with us.”

“No, he wouldn’t do that.”

“Maybe not the Rhysand you used to know, but he’ll eventually find out that you were with us. Without explanation, it seems like we were the ones who held you and did whatever to you. He will think that we have his mate and I don’t want a war. So explain it to him.”

I nod at that reasoning, “Have a safe trip” he says before turning end re-entering the building once more.

I look down at the horse and pet her for a second before yanking on the reigns and making her run. We run to the North end and enter just as he said to, heading straight and continuing on that path as the sky slowly goes darker. I have to make it in time.

Feyre POV

Walking through the door, I stopped and took a deep breath, using my powers to hide my scent. The last thing I needed was someone recognizing me before it was time. Moving quickly, I walk down the pathway and follow it around the now dead garden before coming upon the back entrance to the building. The same one I used when trying to run from him so long ago. Reaching up, I opened it and stepped in quickly, shutting it as quietly as possible behind me.

“I ordered you to bring her to me! Where is she you idiots?” I hear a voice in the next room yell. Tamlin.

“Roger is on his way to grab her now, he should be back soon My Lord. When he does return, the girl will be yours again. We’re sure of it.” I hear an unfamiliar voice respond.

“How can you be so sure of that? That idiot Rhysand did something to her… I just gotta reverse it.” Tamlin says angrily. The sound suddenly went down and all I could hear was murmuring.

Stalking up to the door, I put my ear on it and listened carefully.

“We found a witch. One that is willing to make a potion that will make her fall in love with you again. She said she could do one to make the girl paranoid too, but it would cost a great deal more.”

The chuckle that met my ears was dark and humorless. It reminded me of Rhys at the Court – playing that part. Pulling my face away from the door, I continued walking until I found the room I was looking for. My old painting room.

Everything I had drawn and painted still lived in this room – even the one I made for Tamlin. They lined the walls of the room, making it seem bigger and the ceiling taller than it actually was. In the middle of the room, on a raised platform, sat an unused easel with a paintbrush on it and a palette with multiple color on it. All untouched.

I walked up to one of the images and put my hand on it – it was of that wolf I killed in the woods. The one that made Tamlin hunt me down and kidnap me. Is it wrong of me to not remember his name? Is it wrong that I remember the days that I both killed him and painted him like they were yesterday? I don’t know.

Pulling my hand away slowly, I blink back my tears before heading back to the door. I do not cry for my memories with Tamlin, nor do I cry for the killing of that man, but for my past. These paintings speak my story, but I guess it time for them to vanish. I lift my hand and snap my fingers, sending out flames which soon engulf the room and my life with them.

Hearing footsteps, I bolt from the door way and head down another hallway. I don’t stop or slow until I’m sure I’m far enough, which happens to be in front of Tamlin’s room. Slipping in, I lock the door behind me before willing the ice to appear everywhere possible. On the curtains, chairs, bed, and rugs. I will it to spread as though it was a sheet of ice covering all in sight, rather than small pieces. Once it covered all, I shattered it. Everything turning into dust at once. No longer was there a bed, nor were there curtains, chairs, or rugs remaining. He destroyed me. It’s his turn.

I made to leave the room when the door knob turned and twisted.

“Who the hell is in my room? I’ll kill you when I get my hands on you!!!” An angry Tamlin yelled through the door.

“Roger’s dead!” A voice yells from down the hall, buying me time to open one of the windows.

“What do you mean? What about Feyre?” Tamlin responds quickly.

“We caught her scent leading into the woods – we believe she’s trying to return to the Night Court. What do you want us to do?”

“Grab the horses and every available guard and meet me down at the front entrance in 5. We’re going after her.” He says, footsteps running away immediately after.

The door bangs open and a gasp falls from his mouth. He walked slowly around the room, like the floor might give in with any misstep he were to take, as he took it all in. Picking up one of the leftover pieces of something now unrecognizable, he chucked it at the wall with a war cry before turning to shut his door.

His feet froze in place as the door shut on its own. And locked.

His gaze turned to the side of door and met mine.

“Hello, Tamlin. Long time no see.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright! Chapter six is here and it’s definitely taken a turn! What do you guys think of Feyre’s small, silent attacks on the house? What was up with her opening the window? Why do you think she laid in wait for Tamlin? What happened to Margaret? Why did she leave her daughter to go alone?   
> This chapter has left so many questions and I’d absolutely love to hear what you all thought of this chapter and what you think is going to happen.   
> I have missed writing this and am so happy to have some time to work on it. I am working on the next one as we speak (or read), trying to get it done in a more timely manner.   
> I will see you all in the next posting and I hope to hear your thoughts!  
> S.S.S.


	7. The End For Feyre?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Guys! So, I know that this is quite quick after the other chapter posting, but I just felt so bad about that long wait that I had to get another one up. I do have assignments that I need to get done and yes I did put them on the back burner for this, so I really hope you all enjoy this chapter.   
> I don’t have any shout-outs to give for this chapter. Also, to any that read this and wish to do it, I have a chapter from a story I had up a while ago, it was The Walking Dead re-done as in the story Daryl had a daughter named Chloe Dixon. The chapter is an intimate moment between Daryl and Chloe when they finally get to talk about everything. There is an extra moment in there that I refuse to spoil by putting it here. If you’d like to read that scene or really want that story to come back (re-written obviously) then please leave a review saying so and I’ll try my hardest to get on it soon.   
> With that all said, let’s get onto the story!  
> S.S.S.

Rhysand POV

Walking away from Nesta and Elain like that was one of the easiest things I’ve ever done. ‘ _With the way they’ve been treating Feyre for the last few years – they fucking deserved it. I know that my mate would be disappointed with me for what I said and how I acted, but she isn’t here._ ’ I think to myself, freezing in place.

“Yeah, she isn’t” I tell myself as I look down at the Sidra, remembering the night she asked why I played music outside her cell. _‘So you’d know that you weren’t alone’_ I said, hiding the real reason within my heart.

“So you’d come to me – So, I wouldn’t have to kill Tamlin to have you. Because I’ve loved you from the minute I first laid my eyes on you at Calanmai, and didn’t want to lose you.” I answer out loud to myself, before turning away and walking towards the town house.

Entering the building, you’d think it was a funeral or something. Azriel, Mor, Amren, and Cassian all muttering between themselves, as if they were afraid to raise their voices. Their gazes turned to me, but I just shook my head.

“They’re gone.”

“They left? So you mean to tell me that those two fake-Illyrians decided to haul ass and abandon her sister the one moment she really needed them?” Azriel asked, anger quickly taking over him.

“No.” I tell them simply. They all wear looks of confusion as I continue, “I kicked them out. When I arrived Nesta was snappy and tried to slam a door in my face. I let myself in and she kept going on about how rude I was and how they weren’t our family – then asked where Feyre was. When I asked why they wanted to know where she is, Nesta told me that they needed money. She said that Feyre normally pays the rent for them to stay there and that they need to pay it – so I could give it to them or send my mate to give it to them. I ended up livid and told them to leave, get a job and pay their own damn way.

“Is it what Feyre would’ve wanted? No. But I am tired of them getting rewarded for being shit older sisters to her while she works her ass of and always feels like she’s less than. They have two days to pack their shit and leave Velaris. Cassian, if they aren’t gone in two days then why don’t you and Amren give them a hand.” I finish and receive nods in answer.

“What will you do when Feyre returns? When she finds out what you did – I mean, she’s going to try and defend them. She isn’t gonna be happy.” Mor points out with a small smirk on her face, does she know something?

“My mate will probably be quite upset with me for throwing them out, but I know that she will let me explain myself. She’ll let me explain and, hopefully, I can eventually get her to understand why.”

“And if she doesn’t? If she never forgives you for putting them out like this? I don’t like them either Rhys” Amren cuts in, “but I do know that Feyre blames herself for what happened to them. I know she’ll continue to do that too. You can’t buy her off like you can with us” she finishes with a sad smile.

“I know there’s a chance of her never forgiving me for doing this, but it’s something I had to do. She’ll understand – even if she isn’t happy with the result, she’ll get it. Did you all get your assignments done?” I receive nods once more in answer, “Has anyone heard anything from her?”

All four heads nod in synch – tearing my heart apart even more. She’s been gone way too long and no one’s had contact with her – we need to go after her.

“No Rhys, we don’t” Cassian states as I see all four of them watching me. “She isn’t dead or hurt. You aren’t lying on the floor in pain, nor are you trying to kill everyone around you – so we can tell that she’s doing okay. Just please, wait a little longer and trust her a little more --”

“I DO TRUST HER!!” I yell out with my breathing suddenly going heavy.

“He knows that! He just meant that maybe we should show her that we trust her by giving her more time! Right Cassian?” Mor said as she looked over her shoulder at him, the look on his face telling me all I needed to know.

“Yeah, that’s it! Just miscommunication on my part, that’s all” he says with both hand up in front of him as a sign of surrender. Sighing angrily, I turn and storm up the stairs before slamming my door shut. I rip off my shirt and pants, tearing them in the process, but I’m too mad to care. I send my shoes flying before gabbing a pair of black sweats and slipping them on. Another night without my mate by my side, without her in my arms smiling up at me. It’s not fair.

A pounding on the door draws my attention as a cry comes from the other side of the door, “Rhys! We need you now!!” They yelled out before running down the stairs.

That was Mor. She doesn’t cry or scream like that.

I run over and nearly pull the door off the hinges as I race out of the room and head over to where she is in the great room.

“What is it Mor?” I say irritated. Not even five minutes away from them and a problem comes up.

“You’re gonna want to see this” she says as she leads me out the back door to the others. Everyone is silent with wide eyes, like they saw a ghost, as they lead me down the stairs and to the North part of the woods. Why are we here?

Then I hear it.

“Rhys?” The weak voice called out to me, sounding so familiar yet so different at the same time. I turned my head to the right and saw a female leaned against a tree, looking dirty and seriously injured. The scratches on her arms and legs, with the torn up clothes, dirt and leaves in her hair – none of it matched her actual look. The extremely pale skin with the chapped, cracked lips and sunken in eyes as if she hadn’t slept in years.

“Serena?” I ask cautiously.

Feyre POV

“Hello, Tamlin. Long time no see.” I tell him as I watch his eyes widen in realization that I was actually there.

“Why? Why would you do all of this?”

“Why?” I repeat back to him, “You kidnap Rhys’ mom and sister, you practically torture me in your own way, you took me as a prisoner and tried to poison me…and you’re asking why? You’re a traitor Tamlin. You don’t care what happens to anyone unless it affects you negatively and then you only care about yourself.”

“You know them? The mom and sister? Of course you would, you are his mate after all. I mean, how else would you manage to kill my men, sneak into my home, destroy it and then plan to ambush me here. Let me guess, you opened the window so I’d believe you have backup coming right?”

“Nope.” I answer, making sure to pop the p loudly, “That was so you’d think I jumped out and ran away. Considering the look on your face when your eyes met mine, I’d like to think it worked and took you for a loop.”

The anger began to appear on his face as he finally took in the uniform I was wearing, realizing where I’d gotten it from. “I didn’t know you liked dead people’s clothes – guess you got the right mate then, considering Rhys is now a dead man.” His claws came out, his eyes changed color by going darker and bones started cracking and popping.

I watched as he changed from man to beast, as he went from being someone I one time loved to being something I one time feared. Sad how one man can be both of them.

I made my way around the room by keeping my back to the wall, so I’d see if he struck. I walked and watched as he reared his butt in the air, growling at me.

Lunging forwards, his teeth aimed for my throat as I leapt to the side to avoid his attack. I ended up rolling on the ground and in some of the dust, but I was otherwise alright.

He stood and turned back to me, swiping his claws at my face. I tried to dodge once more, but I failed. One of them got me across the face and the force sent me flying back towards the windows.

 _“The window. I can use that to get out. If he follows then I have the woods on my side – if not, then I bide my time. Yeah, I can do that.”_ I say to myself just as he lunges again. Standing quickly, I leap out before I can take into account just how high up we were.

I landed on my feet, but ended up rolling forwards and eventually was on my back. I tried to stand, but my left leg was hurting bad, _‘because you broke it you dumbass’_ I think as I hear a noise behind me. I turned in time to see him jump and land without a sweat, both of us breathing hard.

“Tamlin!” Someone yells out – drawing his attention away from me.

Ignoring my ankle’s cries for help, I bolted for the woods and just kept running. I don’t know how long I ran for, but by the time I stopped it was dark. The sound of a twig snapping from somewhere in front of me drew my attention and there he was.

How did he find me?

 _‘I can smell you Feyre. Your scent does not match that of the woods – so that was really a stupid decision on your part. You can run, but I’ll find you and I will kill you for what you did to my house.’_ He said through a mind link. I could hear feet approaching from behind him, telling me his men were there and staying far away enough that I couldn’t see them.

“What about your men that I killed? You don’t seem to be too worried about getting revenge for them. I’d think that you would’ve learned how to care for your people by now, but I guess not considering the fact that you care for a building more.”

 _‘People are replaceable Feyre. One can always be replaced by another – but that house? That’s been passed down for ages. It’s where I live. Where my mate will live. Where she will bear my children and raise them – that building is everything.’_ He spat at me, covering the sound of the gasps his men sent his way.

I smiled. He’s just digging his own grave now.

“People are what make a court, how else could this place run? All you do is sit around and play all day, leaving the work to everyone else. Maybe… maybe I should take it from you – show you how to be a High Lord.” I say with a snap making his eyes widen. He prepares for another lunge in my direction.

The crack of a bow sounds from the woods and the arrow implants itself in his shoulder as the man comes running out, “Are you okay?”

“Are you leaving?” I ask him, ignoring his question completely.

“Yes, all of us are. We’ve heard stories about him, but didn’t know if they were true. The second we saw him walk up carrying your unconscious self – well, we knew the truth. We’d been planning to leave.”

 _‘Then you. better. RUN!’_ Tamlin yells out in mind-link.

We start scattering, but I look back in time to see the man whom I spoke with get caught and dragged. I stop. I wasn’t gonna leave anyways – not until Tamlin’s dead. But the man needs help.

I run to where the man had been brought down and see the bow snapped in half – useless. The screams make their way through the trees as I follow them to a clearing. How long had this been here?

I look to the left and see the man on the ground,, Tamlin towering over him. Patting myself down, I realize that I have no weapons on me.

 _‘Death, tonight I welcome you.’_ I think to myself as I charge at him, knocking him over and making us roll and roll and roll until it feels like I’m flying. I look down in time to see the water and get submerged by the incoming wave. My arms and legs are flailing as I try to get my head above the water, but I keep getting pulled under.

Well – I did welcome death.

Cassian POV (Yes I Did Do This!)

We watched as Rhysand picked up the now unconscious girl as if it was Feyre and we followed as he carried her inside. He had demanded pillows and blankets and something called an Elentiya – that’s a new one. His speech was getting garbled and it went from actual words to mere noises within minutes.

As he was getting her set up, I turned to see Azriel with his eyes glazed – he’s mindlinking someone.

“Madja is on her way here Rhys, she’ll be here shortly.” He said before pulling the rest of us out of the room to give him some privacy.

“I thought she died so many years ago, could’ve sworn we went to her funeral” I said suddenly, getting nods from the other three.

“We did. Her head was separate from her body, so how the fuck is she here right now?” Azriel asked us. It was silent and then the door knocked. “Seems his moment with her is over” He finished as Mor went and let the healer in.

We all stood to the side as she worked – taking the temperature, checking for infection and any serious wounds. It took a lot longer than anyone thought it would. She eventually stepped back and let us get close, but all of us were hesitant – even Rhys.

“I don’t know how she’s here or how she’s alive, but she is. So we take this moment and we cherish it – cherish her.” Madja said before leaving.

The girl – Serena – opened her eyes and we all surrounded her, “How are you feeling?” I asked, earning a light chuckle.

“Like shit, but I guess it is what it is. Where’s mom and Elentiya?” She asked and everyone looked at her like she was nuts. “What?” She asked.

“Serena, mom is dead and we don’t know what an Elentiya is.” Rhys said calmly.

“You’re wrong. Mom is alive, I’ve been with her all this time. We couldn’t get away – there were too many of them and we always got caught. And then she showed up. Elentiya. Like an angel Rhys, she popped up and saved us. Helped us avoid being poisoned, got us out of the cells. And we left her there, like an animal” I saw her eyes rim red and tears started going down her cheeks, “WE JUST LEFT HER! AND NOW SHE’S PROBABLY DEAD – BECAUSE OF ME!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright guys, so that is this chapter done! I don’t really know what to say here other than I hope you liked it! Please answer to the question at the top of the page if you can/want to and please leave a review and let me know what you think! I’d really appreciate it!   
> I will see you all in the next posting!   
> Love you all!  
> S.S.S.


	8. Surprises and Realizations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! So here is chapter 8! I really hope you all enjoy! Please let me know what you think and I will see you all in the next chapter!   
> I do not own A Court of Thornes and Roses, nor do I own the characters used in this story.

Margaret POV

 _“I knew this would cause an issue, but it had to be done. Serena would be reunited with Rhys and would explain everything to him, hopefully that means some back up will be coming soon.”_ I think to myself as I silently lie in wait for my moment. I watch the patrols as they go back and forth, crossing the same areas that they’ve checked fifteen times, waiting for one to come close enough. When one comes close enough, I grab him and pull him into the woods as I hold a knife to his throat.

“The girl from the prison, where is she?” I ask.

“There was no girl in the prison, what are you talking about?” He replies. His eyes were wide and his voice had risen to almost sound like a girls’. He’s lying. I take the blade and jab it into his left shoulder, hearing his cry of pain, before I rip it out and put it back to his throat.

“The girl who was in the prison. You either tell me or I slit your throat right here and now” I say angrily.

 _"What about your men that I killed? You don't seem to be too worried about getting revenge for them. I'd think that you would've learned how to care for your people by now, but I guess not considering the fact that you care for a building more."_ I hear in the distance. Before thinking about it, I thrust the blade into his throat and let him fall to the ground before heading that way.

When I arrive, I see Tamlin standing over a guard who is crying out in pain. Then, like a flash of light, Elentiya comes flying out of the woods and tackles the man. My breath catches in my throat as the go over the edge. Without thinking, I begin to climb down the rocky side of the cliff, ignoring the pain in my arms, but the splash comes when I’m only halfway down. Taking in a deep breath, I let go and jump the rest of the way, something making a cracking sound as I land. I ignore it.

I get up and start walking, feeling the pain in my left ankle. I watch and don’t see either of them come up, so I jump into the water and begin looking. I see Tamlin laying at the bottom of the water, not moving, and next to him lays Elentiya. Diving as quickly as I can, my lungs begin to hurt from the lack of oxygen, as the pressure keeps building. As my vision slowly begins to go, I’m able to grab her. I wrap my hand around her wrist and pull her up, getting out of the water quicker than I did to get in. I’m able to drag her up onto the dirt and with a few chest pumps, she’s breathing once more.

Feyre POV

The last thing I knew, the water and Tamlin were trying to kill me. The water never let up and neither did Tamlin, my vision going black too soon. So one could imagine my surprise when I not only was able to breathe again, but when my eyes landed on someone I thought I’d never see again.

“Margaret?” I ask, my breaths coming harshly and quickly.

“Yes Elentiya, it’s me. You’re okay now” she replies, her breathing the same way I am.

“But you…I…How?”

“Don’t worry about that right now. All that matters is that we are both safe and alive, plus that evil man is dead.” She says with a slight smile.

“His name is Tamlin – and I doubt he’s actually dead. He wouldn’t die that easily.”

“But he was down there in the water, his brown hair flowing in the water” she exclaims.

“Margaret” I start as I stand up uneasily and lock eyes with her, “Tamlin doesn’t have brown hair. His is blonde and it’s short.” The look of shock and fear on her face was something I didn’t like, but it had to happen. “Right now, we need to get back to Rhys. He needs to know.”

“He doesn’t know what’s happened? I thought you were friends – why can you not mind-link him and tell him?” She asks.

“I didn’t wish to worry him more than necessary, so I have kept everything under wraps. I understand that he is busy as a High Lord and didn’t wish to be a burden to him. I kept the faebane in my system as long as I could to keep him at bay, but eventually I had to silence it all together.” I reply and she nods.

“So, how do we get home?” She asks.

“If I had my energy, I could winnow us, but I don’t think I’d make it too far before collapsing. However,” I start and catch her eye, “Tamlin does have some horses around back that don’t really get the best treatment. What do you say we liberate them?” I finish with a smirk.

When her face matched mine, I realized two things. One: Tamlin was about to lose his two best horses. Two: We would get along very well when this was all said and done.

We walked around until we found a part of the wall we could climb and went up until we were able to stand again. Upon reaching the top, we slowly made our way through the woods, stopping only when patrols passed us. _“I guess some people will stand by him no matter what”_ I think to myself.

“So tell me” I ask Margaret when we’re clear to continue walking, “what happened to Serena? I got you two out together and now you’re here alone.”

I hear a heavy sigh come from her mouth before she speaks, “We fought. Over you. We both wanted to help you in whatever way we could, but things went awry quickly and the man who found us was sending us back to Rhys. She wouldn’t listen to me and he seemed eager to be rid of us, so before it was time for us to leave I snuck out the back. I told two guards that I was taking my leave so they could inform the others, but I came here on my own. I couldn’t get over the fact that you were so willing to help us when you didn’t even know us and we just left you here like an animal in a cage.”

“Well, while I’m made that you put yourself at risk for me, I am grateful you came back. I wouldn’t be alive if you hadn’t.” I say in response, “I am sorry that you and your daughter fought over me – it shouldn’t have been necessary.”

Margaret POV

“Well, while I’m made that you put yourself at risk for me, I am grateful you came back. I wouldn’t be alive if you hadn’t.” she says, “I am sorry that you and your daughter fought over me – it shouldn’t have been necessary.”

“Elentiya, do not blame yourself for that. My daughter and I fight because we are so similar, it’s actually kind of a good thing” I tell her and see her nod before a growl escapes her throat. “What is it?” I ask

“They’re patrolling the horses” She says. I look around her and see multiple guards circling the horses, making me sigh. “We could kill them, but I don’t want to kill anymore than necessary. Let’s wait til night. If they are still there then we’ll take them out.” She finishes and I nod. We find a tree and sit around the back of it while we wait.

I suddenly remember something Helion told me, “Elentiya, you mentioned that you know my son. Did you know that he has a mate? Do you know anything about her?”

She gets a smile on her face, “I do know that he is mated. I actually met the girl a few times. Honestly, she’s a sweetheart, but I don’t know if I would’ve put her with your son. I just don’t think she is good enough for Rhys, but to be fair, I don’t know if there’s anyone on this planet that’s good enough for him. So, if it had to be someone then I’m glad it’s her.”

I smile back. Elentiya met her and thinks that she’s a good mate for my son. “That gives me so much relief, that you think of her to be good enough for him. All I’ve ever wanted for my kids was for them to be happy and experience love, I’m happy that he has both now.”

“I think you’ll love her, honestly.” She tells me before looking over my shoulder. Our conversation had gone so long that I hadn’t noticed the sky had turned dark. “That’s good. The patrol is gone, we need to move now.” She finishes.

I follow her as we make our way to the gates and each untie a horse, leading them closer to the woods before we climb on. Once we’re on, she looks over at me to ensure I’m securely on. I nod in her direction and we take off.

“Are we heading for Velaris?” I ask her.

“No.” She replies, “We head for the Court of Nightmares.”

Rhys POV

"You're wrong. Mom is alive, I've been with her all this time. We couldn't get away – there were too many of them and we always got caught. And then she showed up. Elentiya. Like an angel Rhys, she popped up and saved us. Helped us avoid being poisoned, got us out of the cells. And we left her there, like an animal. WE JUST LEFT HER! AND NOW SHE'S PROBABLY DEAD – BECAUSE OF ME!" Serena yells out. I quickly wrap my arms around her and I can feel her tears soaking my shirt, but I could care less about it.

When she is calm, we bring her into the dining room and have a meal as a family. Well, almost a family.

“Tell me about her” Serena says, grabbing our attention. “High Lord Helion mentioned to mom and I that you found your mate. Is she here? Can I meet her?”

I sigh deeply, wishing they could meet. “I did find my mate and I love her more than anyone I’ve ever loved before. She’s perfect and I couldn’t have been luckier with my mate. Sadly, she is not here right now, so you cannot meet her, but you will one day.”

“I hope she and I will get along.”

“Everyone gets along with her, so there’s no question that you will too.” I respond. “You mentioned an Elentiya earlier. What is that?”

She chuckles, “Elentiya is not a what. Elentiya is a who. A who that saved mom and I from certain death. A who that is the most caring person we’ve come to meet since we were taken from you.”

“Didn’t you say that she got you out of you cell?” Cassian butts in.

“Yeah. She helped my mom and I avoid consuming faebane. From there, she helped us to not only get out of our cells, but to escape the prison completely. She stayed back to make sure the man who had us would pay in one way or another – and I regret leaving her there. I wish you two could meet, if only so we could thank her properly.”

“You know Serena, I think you’ll like Feyre. She’s a hardass at times, but she’s also the most protective girl. She actually saved our asses before she went onto her job.” Azriel cuts in.

“Feyre? That’s an interesting name. How did she save you, if you don’t mind me asking.” Serena replies to him.

“We were in a fight and this High Lord, Tamlin, came in and admitted that he set everything up in order to take Feyre back. He was prepared to kill us all, but our High Lady wasn’t having that. She pretended to get out of some kind of ‘mind hold’ that Rhys supposedly had on her. She had the King cut her bond to Rhys via their agreement, but she pretended it was a fake mate bond, and then went with Tamlin. She basically swore to us that she would destroy him from the inside for all that he had done to us. Now, we’re just waiting to hear from her.” Azriel says and everyone nods.

“Oh. That’s a lot” she says, a bit stuttered. “Um, may I go and shower? I am feeling gross”.

“Of course,” I tell her and show her to a guest room. Once she’s in the shower I head back down and sit once more with my people. “Cassian, head over to the court and get them ready for our visit. They must know that the princess has returned. Azriel, why don’t you go pay Helion a visit? I wanna know why that bastard had my sister with him.” They both nod and disappear.

Serena POV

I turn on the water and let the tub fill before climbing in. As I start to scrub myself, I think back to the conversation at dinner. Why did it sound so familiar?

 _“I have business to handle, but you two need to get out. I don't know how much longer you'll survive here. Someone needs to distract them so you can get away. Head for the Night Court and find Rhys. Tell them what's happening. I've kept a little of the Faebane in my system so they won't know – the last thing we need is an angry Rhysand storming in here before everything's done."_ Elentiya had told mom and I.

 _“We were in a fight and this High Lord, Tamlin, came in and admitted that he set everything up in order to take Feyre back. He was prepared to kill us all, but our High Lady wasn’t having that. She pretended to get out of some kind of ‘mind hold’ that Rhys supposedly had on her. She had the King cut her bond to Rhys via their agreement, but she pretended it was a fake mate bond, and then went with Tamlin. She basically swore to us that she would destroy him from the inside for all that he had done to us. Now, we’re just waiting to hear from her.”_ Azriel had said at dinner.

My eyes widened as I realized what was happening.

Elentiya wasn’t just “a friend” of Rhys’.

She is the High Lady of the Night Court.

Rhys’ mate.


	9. Reuniting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! So this is the last chapter of our story! Now, I know that it has been difficult with getting things written and posted and I truly apologize for that, but we made it here and that’s what matters.   
> I hope you all have enjoyed the story so far and that you will continue to.   
> With that, Let’s get onto the story!

Serena POV

Elentiya is the High Lady of the Night Court.

Holy Shit!

I turn the water off quickly, dry off and get dressed before storming down the hallway. I make my way back to the kitchen and find Amren, but that’s it.

“Where is everyone?” I ask wildly.

“They went off to do some things, is everything alright?”

“No. I need them now. Everyone for a meeting – this is important.” I say quickly.

“Well, Rhys asked me to get you ready for a meeting at the Court of Nightmares. Is it so important that it can’t wait until after?” She asks.

Her question makes me stop. Can it? I mean, this is his mate in question, but it might be easier to wait. From what I can remember of the court, it can be quite stressful as we have to put on an act. If he were to find out before then, it could put added stress on him – that’s the last thing I want.

But this is the High Lady we’re talking about. I’m sure the court would wish for my head on a stick if they were to find out I knew and said nothing. Ultimately, it’s my decision.

“I don’t wish to stress Rhys out too much before the meeting with the Court, so maybe it can wait. I just don’t want anyone to hate me when it does come out.”

“No one will hate you.” she tells me as she leads me up the stairs, “You have your reasons for choosing to tell us something or choosing not to. I’m sure that he will understand why you have made the choice you have. Now,” she opens the door and goes into the closet, “you need to dress the part without looking too over the top – that’s Feyre’s job. Aha! How about this one?” she asks, pulling out a dress.

The dress was absolutely gorgeous. It was a black, floor length gown with a slit that goes up to the thigh on the right leg. There was a sweetheart neckline and off shoulder sleeves that were short. There was some beading on the bottom of the gown, but the rest was plain.

“I love it” I tell her.

“Great! Let’s get you dressed.”

Feyre POV

We’ve been on the horses for a couple of hours, but Margaret keeps on flinching and reaching for her ankle. I pull on the reigns and the horse stops moving, Margaret copies my action.

“Why are we stopping?” she asks me.

“Are you hurt? You keep flinching and reaching down for your ankle. Do you need aide?” I respond.

“You are hurt as well. You have scratches across your face, you need not worry about my ankle.”

I let go of the hold on my cover and the scratches disappear as I climb down and go to her ankle. I grab it and lightly lift it, only to earn a whimpered moan. Pulling out my knife, I cut her trousers and make it to her ankle. It’s swollen as hell and is completely red.

“When did you hurt yourself?” I ask her.

“When I was trying to get down to you. I ended up jumping halfway down the cliff because you hit the water sooner than I expected. I was just wanting to get you out safely, not matter my wounds.”

I pick up her ankle once more and earn another whimpered moan before I put it back. I shake my head and sigh before coming up with an idea.

“We need to make a stop before we go to the court. She’s a healer and her name is Madja. She can take care of your ankle.” I tell her before climbing back on my horse. I see her ready to argue so I stop her, “You are hurt and it’s only going to get worse. We need to get there and have her check up on you. If worse comes to worse then I will leave you with her while I go to the court alone. She can show you to Rhys’ home and let you in.”

I can see that she still wants to argue, but she doesn’t. Good.

We ride for a few more hours until we reach Velaris, making me smile. I honestly never thought I would see this place again. I keep my head down so people won’t recognize me and lead her to a door, climbing down myself before helping her.

Walking in the door, the receptionist saw me and immediately recognized me. However, I slightly shook my head as a way to tell her to keep quiet. She nodded and went on with her duties.

“How may I help you ladies today?” She asks.

“My friend here has an injured ankle and we would like to get it looked at as soon as possible.” I tell her.

“Of course, why don’t you have a seat and I will let the healer know.” She responds before disappearing to the back.

I help Margaret to a seat before sitting next to her, just waiting on Madja, who doesn’t take long. From the smile on her face, I knew that the receptionist told her I was here. I help Margaret to the room and she sits on a bed to get comfortable.

“I’ll be right back, gotta use the restroom” I say before leaving the room. Instead of going to the restroom I see the healer out in her office. She runs up and hugs me.

“Oh my High Lady, I’m so happy to see that you are alive and well! The High Lord has been losing his mind over your disappearance.”

“Look, the lady I am with does not know who I really am and I would like to keep it that way for now. I also need to keep this from getting back to Rhys for the time being.” I tell her and she nods. “When you are done looking her over, if it is something serious, I need you to escort her to Rhys’ home.”

“Of course, whatever you need!”

I leave and make my way back to Margaret who is still just sitting on the bed, but she’s removed her shoes. We sit and wait for Madja to come in. When she does, she asks some medical questions before taking a look at the ankle. She twists it and turns it while gauging Margaret’s reaction before making up her mind.

“Her ankle is broken. That is why it is causing her so much pain and it’s so red. You can’t be walking on this for a few weeks.”

We nod and I meet Margaret’s eyes. She knows what’s going to happen.

“Fine, you can go on your own. Just promise that you’ll come back” she tells me, which makes me smile.

“I haven’t died yet” I say before walking out of the room.

I make my way to my horse and climb on, making my way to the Court while, once again, keeping my head down.

Rhys POV

Helion admitted that my sister was there and, surprisingly, my mother. I guess Serena wasn’t taking stuff, our mom is alive. ‘ _But if she is, then where is she? Why did I find Serena near death by my home while my mother was nowhere to be seen?_ ’

I shake my head to remove my thoughts as I get back home and dress for the court. Black shirt, black pants, black shoes and a black crown with my wings out. I look like a High Lord, but I don’t feel like one without my High Lady at my side. I shake my head once more before leaving the room. I make my way downstairs and see them all ready to go.

“I have called the other High Lords to a meeting at the court. They will arrive and mingle with the people for a bit before we head to a private room to speak. I need all of you to keep your eyes on Serena. I don’t know if it was one of them who held her and I don’t want them near her.” They nod and then we head out.

When we arrive at the court, we take our stances and the doors open. I can see everyone immediately bow as Cassian and Azriel go first with their wings out, Amren and Mor follow with Serena going after. I enter last with my wings out, letting my power out at half of it’s level. I just need to show that I have the power, not prove it. As I reach my throne, I turn and sit in it, keeping an eye on my people for a moment before standing.

“Rise” I tell them and they do, “I am here to announce that my sister Serena has been found safe and sound. While we were made to believe that she died, that turned out to be false. It is because of her that we are here to celebrate today. So go play and enjoy this time” I finish.

Music sounds and food is served as people cheer for her. The doors open and everyone watches as the other High Lords make their way in, they keep their eyes mostly on Tamlin as he carries a bag with him.

“Why are we here Rhysand? You never specified” Helion says a little angrily.

“All will be made known soon. Until then, please mingle with the others and let us enjoy this celebration.”

“There will be no enjoyment of celebration. Your mate came in and made my people leave me, she remained and attacked me on her own, and then left me to drown in a giant body of water. I wanted to hurt her, and I still do, but I can’t get to her right now. However, I was able to get to her friend Lucien” he says as he unties the bag and dumps its contents on the floor, “guess she should’ve stayed”.

Feyre POV

I arrive at the court and, while I am dirty and all that, I believe it works. I worm my way through the building while hiding when people pass, I can’t have them give me away yet. I knew that Rhys would want to announce and Serena, plus he would call the other High Lords. He would have to – they are the only ones with the power and strength to hide someone the length of time that Serena’s been missing.

I make my way up a flight of stairs and reach the door only to hear a familiar voice on the other side.

_“There will be no enjoyment of celebration. Your mate came in and made my people leave me, she remained and attacked me on her own, and then left me to drown in a giant body of water. I wanted to hurt her, and I still do, but I can’t get to her right now. However, I was able to get to her friend Lucien. Guess she should’ve stayed”._

Tamlin?

“You killed your own man to attempt to harm my mate? You’re a joke Tamlin. I suggest you behave before I take your head for the empty threat to my people.” I hear another familiar voice. This one makes my heart beat faster and the butterflies rise in my stomach. I almost fall to my knees at the sound of it. My mate.

I quickly pick myself up and sneak out the door, to see a surprise. I see my court with Rhys on his throne and Serena to his right, the chair to left is still open – my throne. In front of them is the Court of Nightmares all squished to the sides of the room, fear evident on all of their faces. In the middle of the room stood the other High Lords, with Tamlin in the front like he was the leader. Looking at the ground, I see Lucien’s head that looked to be in mid scream.

It hurts. Knowing that I couldn’t save him, but he always chose Tamlin over himself. He dug his own grave this time.

I take a deep breath and wait for my moment.

“Empty threat?” I hear Tamlin yell angrily, “I will slaughter your entire court to make up for your stupid mate did!”

“Is that so?” I yell out, grabbing everyone’s attention. Rhys stood from his seat and faced me quickly, but my gaze remained on Tamlin as I walked. I stopped in the middle of my friends before continuing to speak. “Please, tell us of just how stupid I am. Tell everyone here how I was so stupid that I outsmarted you time and time again. Why don’t you tell everyone how I was so stupid that I managed to get two of your prisoners out of your prison while you believed that we were actually caught?”

By this time, I was on the final step of the set of stairs which lead up to where Rhys and them were. I kept my gaze on Tamlin the entire time, but I could see the people of the court kneeling in respect for their High Lady.

“You killed many of my people Feyre – for nothing! You scared them for nothing – you useless bitch!” He yelled at me, “If you’re so strong then why not come face me now! What, you scared to lose in front of everyone here? Why don’t you just - ” His voice cut as he fell to his knees.

I felt a hand against my lower back and turned to see Rhys – his eyes were full black and I could hear the mountain outside crumbling under his power. His darkness had surrounded Tamlin and began to choke him as it pulled him to the ground. This is the side of Rhys that scares everyone, the side of him that people wish would disappear. But I don’t.

“You had them this whole time? My mother and my sister? You held my mate as a prisoner for all this time? Funny how she was able to take you down even though she was a prisoner.” Rhys started. As he spoke, I could hear cracking and snapping – I could almost feel Tamlin’s pain. His face had distorted and with every word Rhys got out, Tamlin seemed more in pain.

Had it just been me that he had hurt, I would’ve attempted to give him a last chance at life. But he hurt my sister and my mother – that was something I could never forgive.

I got out of my mind and turned to the scene before me. I don’t know when it happened, but now the walls were painted red – some of the people of the court even bore the color on their clothing. There were limbs randomly on the floor and the ceiling had some guts and intestines dangling from it, like Christmas lights on a banister. I saw Rhys grab a decorative pole from one of the walls and stick Tamlin’s head on it, allowing it to go from silver to blood red. Rhys himself was covered in Tamlin’s blood, but he didn’t seem to really care about that.

I turned and saw shock and fear on my friends’ faces. I guess this was something they did not see often.

Rhys made his way to me and wrapped me up in a hug. It didn’t matter if he had shown some affection in front of the court, not after they witnessed Tamlin’s execution so brutally. I didn’t care if our acts were gone for a moment, I had my mate. That was all I cared about at the moment.

Rhys POV

I didn’t want to ever let go of her again. My mate is here, she’s back and she’s safe.

I know that I probably scared her when I went after Tamlin, but I couldn’t help it. The more he spoke, the more red I saw until eventually I couldn’t hold myself back. I just can’t get it off of my mind – this entire time, my mom and sister were there. Feyre was …wait. She got two of Tamlin’s prisoners out.

I pulled away and looked at her before looking at Serena. Feyre’s eyes followed mine and she pulled away, walking back up the stairs. I followed quickly.

“You are safe. Your mother told me that you were on your way to find Rhys, but I had my worries” my mate told my sister.

Serena immediately bowed to her, “My High Lady, I am so sorry for the problems my mother and I brought upon you. We had no idea that you are who you are – please don’t smite us for this.”

Feyre pulled my sister up and brought her into a hug, not letting go until Serena hugged back. “There is nothing to apologize for. Before you ask, your mother is okay.” She turned to face me, “I took her to Madja and had the healer look her over. She should now be at the townhouse waiting for us to return.”

Feyre went around hugging everyone in our group, making small talk with them for a moment before asking me if we could head home. I nodded and picked her up, flying home with her in my arms while Cassian had Serena.

Once we arrived home, I opened the door for Feyre before following close behind her. Everything in here looked just as it had before we left for the court, except there was a woman on the couch with her leg wrapped up and on a pillow on a table. Serena ran over to her and I followed suit quickly, pulling my mother into a hug. I could feel her tears as I held her, but couldn’t bring myself to let go. I has been so long.

She eventually pulled away from me and faced Feyre with a knowing look.

“You found him, thank you Elentiya.” She said, making all of us turn to Feyre as she kept talking. “So son, I’ve heard that you have found your mate. I wish to meet her at once. Elentiya over there has told me enough about her, now I should be able to meet her.”

“She told you about my mate, did she? What did she say?” I asked her out of curiosity.

“Well, I was told that your mate is a sweetheart, but Elentiya told me that she didn’t think your mate was good enough for you. Mentioned that she didn’t think anyone would ever be good enough for you, but she thinks your mate is good enough. When can I meet her? I wish to make my own assumptions about her now.” My mom finished.

Looking over at my mate, I couldn’t determine the look in her eyes. Was it guilt? Was it sorrow? I walked over to her and kissed her, refusing to have my mate think so little of herself.

“You are my savior Feyre. You are my life. You are… so perfect. The question is not ‘are you good enough for me?’, the question is ‘am I good enough for you?’ and I try every day to make sure I am. Don’t ever look down on yourself like that, you do not deserve it.”

“Wait – she’s your mate? The High Lady!?” My mother screeched out, earning a laugh from all of us. Feyre walked over and sat down on the table in front of her.

“My name is Feyre Archeron and I am the High Lady of the Night Court. It is a pleasure to be able to formally meet you.” My mother shook her hand before pulling her into a hug, tears streaming down her face once more.

We talked for a bit after that. Feyre, my mom and my sister, each telling their tales of what happened to them over the course of this time and what they did. To say I’m proud would be an understatement. When they were done, Feyre got up and went to walk out of the room, saying she had something to do. I jumped up and stopped her.

“Is everything okay?” I asked her.

“Yeah, I just need to check in on Elain and Nesta before calling it a night. I need to make sure that they are okay.”

Oh no.

I steered her away from the door with a sigh, “Um. They are not here anymore.”

“What do you mean?” She asked me.

“I went to talk with them and ended up having to face an extremely rude and entitled Nesta. I was livid with the way they were treating you. I let them stay because you are my mate, but I had enough and I kicked them out. They are now somewhere else.”

Her face went blank and it seemed like she stopped breathing for a moment before coming back to herself. I know that it’s hard for her to hear, but it had to be done.

She nods before speaking, “I understand. I shouldn’t have helped them as much as I have, but I did. I thought they at least somewhat cared, I guess I was wrong on that assumption. Thank you – for doing what I couldn’t. Um, I think I’m gonna head up to bed.” She finished before walking up the stairs.

I know it’s hurting her, but it should get better. I follow her up and take a quick bath before climbing into bed with her, pulling her into me. I get a whiff of her scent before blacking out.

My queen.

**Author's Note:**

> This was a long story, longer than I thought it would be anyways. Again, I don’t know if this is going to be a random one-shot or a little series or a story, but I do have some ideas. Please leave a comment and let me know what you think, if you like it or not and if you’d like to see more.  
> S.S.S.


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